Security breached!!!!

Ordered something from Amazon. They delivered while I was out, left a card saying 'shed'. Worrying that.
I walked to the bottom, yes the bottom of my garden past my hawks aviary, opened up the weighing shed. There it is. So the random, faceless Amazon delivery person has seen the hawk. Who knows how long they were in the garden for scoping things out. So refitted the side gate, fitted a massive anchor bolt with an eye on it and fitted a chain and a padlock until my planned new gate build in the better weather. Should have done it before. Hopefully we don't get a return visit by someone wanting a free hawk.
Please everyone take your birds security seriously as it's really worried me. I loves the little fella.

Yesterday I also did my mile plus check on my telemetry, found its wasn't recieving too well but that could be as the transmitter was in my car, parked behind the air traffic control and their systems probably interfering, but at 3/4 of a mile I got a signal. I reckon that's a reasonable advert for the device as there's lots of aerials on site, all doing things that probably cook you from the inside out!

Also, after I did the gate, I then cleaned down the aviary, disinfectant used, fitted plastic sheet behind the roost perch, put F10 on Chico's feet and fitted a feeding hole and cover over the food ledge. He then got fed up with the impending cold snap to build his reserves.

So, improvements this week...
Security...check.
Telemetry...check.
Food slot...check.
Plastic poo shield...check.
Toasted tea cake and a coffee...check.

Have a good week y'all.

Naughty boy!!

Some days, we just aren't on our A game. Today, is one of those days. Pulled Chico out of his aviarie and we went for a little wander. He was however, not interested. So, in the spirit of the self depreciating British man, I have posted the fails today, my mentor will not approve of him jumping from the floor for a tit bit, however, I think cheeky was starting to doubt there was anything there. Funnily enough he did start to behave however there is no footage to corroborate his story! Think of this as a bloopers reel!

Fire by friction and a sleepless night

Sometime ago, I met the team at fenland bushcraft on a father/son Snr/jnr introduction to bushcraft weekend. We had a great time and my boy has been asking periodically to go again.
Then a few weeks back Geoff Preen from Fenland Bushcraft and I were chatting online and he invited me to a mini moot or gathering that took place this weekend just gone. Obviously we went despite the boy having a cold and we made our best preparations which included the borrowing of my mate George's palatial fishing Bivi.

Not quite roughing it but I didn't notice any central heating either! It covered us and allowed my boy and I some private space which is sometimes good.

So on arrival I met Geoff and Sean, and Geoff's children who are also keen on the bushcrafting.

A fire bit was burning already in the camp away from the main tuition area which would be used later in the evening.

The boy and I settled in by opening the much anticipated ration packs, what does Mick Dundee say? "Tastes like s*** but you can live on it" My lad enjoyed it anyway.

Geoff had asked if I was interested in making fire by friction. I've been into bushcraft and survival for years, since I bought my first copy of lofty Wiseman's survival guide at the age of 16, however, I've never done friction fire lighting, and to get a chance of one on one tuition can't be passed up so away we went. No bow drills, which I have to say has always been a put off, so many parts and a fiddly (no pun intended) method are a bit intimidating to be honest. We were using the hand drill.  Geoff demonstrated and talked me through what he was doing and why. He of course got an ember. Then it was my turn. I hand drilled and hand drilled for 20 minutes probably, nothing but dust produced. A serious workout on the upper arms, just where the upper arm joint joins the shoulder. Something was burning and it wasn't the embers! We walked away for few minutes to have a breather and a drink, but I had produced smoke from my first effort so felt if I pushed on I'd get it. So back to it, and this time as I say in the video, less fannying around, and push on before you are too fatigued. We got an ember! What an awesome experience and something I'll treasure forever.

Video link is here, hopefully it should play...
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10215397625963749&id=1529927933

Later that evening Sean cooked the most amazing chicken kebabs which went down a treat.

We then all played, kids and grown ups, camp fire stalker...what a laugh and everyone had a great time, but you will have to book a weekend with fenland bushcraft and ask to have a go, I'm not letting the cat out of the bag.
Speaking of cats, Vernon, and Vernon 2, the mice killing, sleeping bag wrangling, ration pack stealing gingers made themselves prominent figures in the camp the whole time.

My night has slipped into a haze of lack of sleep, I managed about 2 hours. Glad I opted for a tent with a boy who has a reputation of talking in his sleep and wandering around, he was kept confined, so a Bivi and beds may not be the most bushy option but for us it works. It was like having the child from the excorcist in there with me, minus the projectile vomitting and the power of Christ, he was up every 45 minutes, needing a wee, panicking because he'd spun round in the bag and it was covering his face, weird dreams about stacks of blankets, sitting bolt upright talking about random stuff. He needs his own tent next time!!! I finally drift off with the sun rising to sound of a full of beans boy saying good morning are you having a coffee??! I still needed a night cap!
Anyway, so, a guy called Joe had arrived the afternoon before, a knife making buff with shooting skills like dead eyed dick who I reckon could put a pellet up a gnats backside at fifty paces. He hadn't done fire by friction either, and was busy that morning getting it put away, and he and Geoff got an ember going and started the breakfast fire going so great stuff all round.

Then after breakfast, we had a chap called Derek arrive to do wood carving with us. Now this was a nice surprise, and I truly hope I go again and he's there. I sadly don't know enough about him to do him justice in this piece, but if he's not  or has never been a professional teacher then he's missed his vocation. What an amazing demonstration of what in essence could be viewed as quite simple. However, the knife and axe skills, knowledge of the subject, and pure skill was amazing. That's why in the pictures, as I said on the day, I must have looked like a dog being taught a card trick, this guy was spot on. He made tent pegs, I know simple right, but the depth of knowledge as to why each cut was made and why a certain shape was used was superior. Then onto spoons. However, this is where our story cuts short and I was gutted, Derek's demo was superb and I wish we could have stayed. However my boy, who already had a cold when we arrived was quickly going man down as can be seen in the photo so I had to cut it short and get him home.

He fell asleep in the truck on the way back. He hasn't done that for years.  What I can say, is what a fabulous weekend end we had, and new skills and new ideas were discussed. Hopefully we'll be going again, better equipped, and cold free! Please take the time to have a look at fenland bushcraft's homepage and the photos here.
Great guys.

https://www.fenlandbushcraft.co.uk/

Photos were a mixture of sources, so I'll name all, Rob Finch, Geoff Preen, Sean Callaghan, Joe Smalley. If anyone didn't take any pics on here, enjoy the free mention.

The Norfolk bushman on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/BewAgjgnNcZ/

Be sure to follow on Instagram for more pics

I like wabbits

Took the bird out for flight today, gave very little in the way of titbits on the glove, he was a little heavier than I normally fly him. He was keen to stay on the glove but did some long flights, however we may have a breakthrough looming. I have been trying to get him to stop screaming and hunt. I'm no expert at this falconry stuff but that's been a bit of a frustration recently. He's not really interested in chasing anything. Until today...creeping along the warrens a rabbit bolted along the mound in the hedgerow and down into a burrow. Chico made himself as tall as could be, stop screaming and watched intently for more movement.
He then flew into the tree that was above the Warren and watched and waited while I put on a great show of hunting round the Warren.  Now I know there was no chance of the rabbit coming back out, but this is how Harris hawks hunt in the wild, cooperatively with other hawks, and one will often go to a high perch and another will go on the ground and flush the prey.
So I did it really to egg him on a bit.
He seemed to get the idea but with nothing flushed gave up but everyone we went near a hole or a bank he was having a in depth look. And was much quieter.
We stopped for a fag break, he got the hump and sat in the grass. Then decided to go for wash in the only puddle in the field and pretty much finished us there and then.
I also noticed a leaky eye on his left side which I need to monitor in case it needs a visit to the vets.